Delaney sisters carry Irish hopes in British Open

THE Delaney sisters - Tara and Karen - carry the principal hopes of Ireland in the Girls’ British Open Amateur Championship, which begins today over the Newport course in south Wales.

Both sisters play off a handicap of two at Carlow and have shown up encouragingly in the past year.

"This is the big one of the year and we are both really looking forward to it," said Karen as she concluded her practice.

Galway's Sinéad O'Sullivan, Catherine Tucker and Danielle McVeigh are also in the 120-strong field. The highly-popular tournament has been greatly oversubscribed this year and there are some 50 players on a reserve list simply hoping to make it to the starting tee.

No one with a handicap of more than 5.7 is in the lineup, with the Continent again providing all those better than scratch. The probable favourite is Spanish wonder-girl Azahara Munoz, who was victorious in the Spanish women's championship earlier in the year at the tender age of 15.

And Munoz garnered the European Young Masters girls' individual crown in Germany. Competitors play one round today; they play another 18 holes tomorrow, and then the leading 32 competitors go forward to a knock-out ending in the final on Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, also in Wales today at Royal St Davids, Harlech the boys' internationals begin, with Ireland playing Wales and champions England meeting Scotland.